


Firebent Dragon - An Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction

by alexdiangelo_aprilis04 (aangkatarazukosokka_aprilis08)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 07:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28347573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aangkatarazukosokka_aprilis08/pseuds/alexdiangelo_aprilis04
Summary: Timeline: 3 years after the Ozai World WarZuko is the Firelord of the Fire Nation, and everything is going great...mostly. Sokka has disappeared, nowhere to be found; the people of Republic City are distrustful of the Firebenders; the citizens of the Fire Nation are looking to Zuko to lead them somewhere—somewhere Zuko doesn’t know. Lately, he and Aang have been collaborating for the creation of Republic City and their bond has strengthened. Little to they know, there’s a prison escapee on the loose—and not just any escapee.Zuko’s crazed sister, Princess Azula.
Relationships: Aang & Bumi (Avatar), Aang & Sokka (Avatar), Aang & Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Ran and Shaw & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Sokka/Yue (Avatar)
Kudos: 3





	1. The Jasmine Dragon

“You have no idea how hard it is being Firelord,” Zuko said. “Everyone’s looking at me to do something amazing. It’s not like I can do much except try my best to help my people.”

“Fair,” Aang said, sipping his tea. “Have you heard from Sokka?” Zuko shook his head. “Thought as much. He hasn’t written to anyone. Not even Katara or his father. I’m worried about him. Also, I’m getting annoyed with your complaints.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. “I’m not complaining. I’m making a statement. How long has it been since you were in the Fire Nation, Aang?”

“Uh...” Aang thought for a moment. “Since your coronation? Three years?” Zuko blinked. “Well, I haven’t had much time to visit. I’m trying to find other Airbenders. If there are more out there, then I can reform the Air Nation.”

Zuko snickered. “Or, you could focus on Katara.”

“All Katara does is her chores. She doesn’t have any fun anymore,” Aang said. “We’ve been talking about kids. I’m sure you’ll think about becoming a father soon, too.”

Zuko choked on his tea. Aang raised an eyebrow. The Firelord quickly pulled himself together.

“Father? Aang, Mei and I aren’t even married,” he reminded the Avatar. “We’ve been too busy. Too busy for marriage, so it’s obvious we’re too busy for children. And I don’t know if I want kids anyway.”

“It’s your choice,” Aang replied, blowing steam away from his tea. “I personally think you’d make a great father.”

“Me? You do know how I was raised right?”

“Yes, I do. That’s why I think you’d be great. You know what not to do.” Zuko blinked. “Sorry. I’m not too good at parent talk.”

Zuko shrugged. He tapped the surface of the table, waiting for his Uncle Iroh to come back from the market. It really wasn’t Aang he wanted consolation from. Aang might’ve been the Avatar, but he was 16 and married. He had his life all figured out.

“Zuko,” Aang began. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s not true. My life is far from done and I’ve barely begun living it.”

“Hm.” Zuko crossed his arms. “It’s been three years.”

“Three years since what?” Aang responded, waving more steam away from his tea. “Since Iroh retook Ba Sing Se? Since my victory against Firelord Ozai? Since the Ozai World War? Since you became Firelord? Or since you won the Angi Kai against your sister?”

“I didn’t win,” Zuko said. “I almost died. Katara saved me. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”

Aang sighed. “You can’t give Katara all the credit.”

“Why not?”

“Because if you hadn’t been there, she would’ve been killed by Azula,” Aang explained. “You should give her the time of day, yes, but it wasn’t all her. A lot of it was you.”

Zuko had a hard time believing that. Some part of him, the still angry side, wanted to curse Katara for stepping into the arena stupidly. If she had stayed in her spot in the stands, Zuko would’ve won on his own. But that part of his mind was overruled by his heart, which reminded his brain that Katara was just trying to help and accidentally got in the way.

“How’s Republic City doing?” he asked, reverting his attention away from the Agni Kai.

“Good,” Aang winced, “enough. The other benders are having trouble getting along with the Firebenders. I’ve tried to explain to them that they don’t control what element they can bend, but they aren’t receptive. The only Firebender they trust is you.”

“Well,” Zuko said, “maybe I can come to the city. Just for a few days. I’ll leave Mei in charge.”

“Maybe you can convince the other benders and non-benders that the Firebenders are safer now,” Aang suggested, brightening. “I will admit, there’s been some rebellion. And a few groups have been formed called the Triple Threat Triad, Agni Kai Triad, and Monsoon Triad. Most of them are Firebenders.”

Zuko sighed. “Well, that should be helpful.”

“Super helpful.” Aang agreed. “So, Katara and Toph want to have a group meeting next month. I’m hoping you’ll come. And I’m hoping it’ll be enough to get Sokka back here.”

“Sokka is smart,” Zuko said. “Silly sometimes, yes, but smart. If he needs help, he’ll send for it. How are you even going to get a notice about the meeting to him? We have no idea where he went. Suki is off looking for him.”

“Do you think Nyla would help us?” asked Aang.

Zuko shook his head. “No. June is off doing something or other. She doesn’t want to search across the continent for Sokka. Even if we do.”

Aang dropped his eyes to the table. He sipped his tea and stayed quiet. Zuko didn’t try to talk to him. They might’ve been good friends, but that didn’t mean they always talked to each other. If anything, it meant they knew when to back off.

“Hello!” a bellowing voice said. A man with a long gray beard, thick sideburns, and bald head entered the tea house. “Oh, Firelord Zuko. It’s a pleasure to see you.”

“Uncle,” Zuko got up and bowed.

“You shouldn’t be bowing to me, Firelord,” Iroh said. “I might be your uncle, but I’m also of lower status.”

Zuko shrugged. Iroh chuckled and the two embraced.

“Good to see you again, Nephew.”

“I’m glad to see The Jasmine Dragon is doing well, Uncle,” Zuko said, gesturing around the room. No one was there due to the early hour, but the furniture and decor were polished.

“That’s because of the tea,” Aang pointed out. “Avatar Approved.”

“Please,” Zuko said, “don’t make that a thing.”

“Too late.”

Zuko groaned. “You know, sometimes I really hate having the Avatar as one of my best friends.”

“Well, you have Katara to complain to,” Aang said. “And Iroh. They can listen to you rant about your subjects all day. I happen to not be one of those people who can sit, drink tea, and listen quietly.”

“I feel like I skipped over the spiritual side of your Firebending lessons,” Zuko said. “Patience isn’t just for Airbenders you know. There are plenty of calm and peaceful Firebenders.”

Iroh nodded. “Like me.”

“Yes, like Uncle.”

Aang front flipped off his chair with ease and a light wind. He patted Zuko’s shoulder.

“Can I talk to you a moment? Somewhere more meaningful?”

“Uh,” Zuko glanced at Iroh.

Iroh put his hands up. “Don’t look at me, you are Firelord.”

Zuko nodded to Aang. The two members of Team Avatar walked out of the doors of The Jasmine Dragon. The tea shop was beginning to open, and people were starting to wait outside. The day was cool and warm, a perfect day in Zuko’s opinion. Better than Ember Island and its constantly hot weather. Zuko had almost abandoned it, but there were good memories there, too.

“Look, the Avatar and the Firelord,” someone whispered loudly. “Are they friends?”

“Yes. They’re friends.”

Zuko and Aang exchanged a knowing look; it wasn’t always so. There were plenty of times when Zuko had tried to capture or kill Aang, and there were quite a few bad memories of what Aang did to escape. The Blue Spirit: not Zuko’s best work.

“We don’t have to worry about those times now,” Aang said. It sounded more like he was telling himself rather than speaking to someone else. “We’re past them.”

“Exactly. Those things are in the past,” Zuko agreed. “But we can’t escape them. I’ve tried too hard to run from my past before. It’s impossible. We knew it would come back to haunt us, Aang. Now could be the time.”

Aang crossed his arms. He nodded briefly. They continued along the road of Ba Sing Se with the Avatar leading the way. Zuko had no clue where they were going, but Aang seemed to be on a mission. Zuko couldn’t imagine what he wanted to talk about.

The two walked to a familiar fountain, where nobody else stirred. Zuko remembered ending his first date with Jenn at this fountain. His first and only date with her.

“So,” Zuko said, “what is it?”

“It’s you.” Aang replied.

“Me? What did I do?”

“You’ve been acting strange.” Aang explained. “And not normal everyday gloomy Zuko. Something’s going on that you’re not telling me about. I have a feeling it has something to do with your father.”

Zuko sighed. “My mother.”

“What?” the Airbender blinked in surprise. “I didn’t think you’d tell me. I mean, we’re close, but—”

“Aang?”

“Yes?”

“Stop talking.”

“Oh, right, absolutely. I’ll let you continue.”

Zuko nodded. He took a semi deep breath and began his tale that wasn’t a tale at all.

“When I was a kid, my grandfather, Firelord Azulon, was still ruling the Fire Nation. The war made sense to him and he wasn’t merciful, but at least he was kind to his family. My father did not inherit that trait. My mother, though...she cared about everyone. Even Ozai.

“During my childhood, Azula was better than me at pretty much everything. But not to my mother. Ursa would always get into Azula for trick-ing me into things. She used to feed turtle-ducks in the pond with me. If it weren’t for her, I would’ve been too proud to change sides. I would’ve been like my father. Like Azula.

“When I was nine, Azula and I listened in on a conversation between Ozai and Firelord Azulon. My uncle, you know Iroh, had just lost his firstborn son. My father was merciless, even with the loss of his nephew. I didn’t see the whole argument with my eyes, but Azula told me enough. That Azulon said Ozai didn’t know the loss of a firstborn son, and he could only learn by personal experience. I said he wouldn’t do that to me.” Zuko put a hand on the scar on his eye. “I was wrong.

“My father was tasked with one job to have another: kill me and he would become Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. Ozai agreed. He was going to murder me, his own son. But my mother stopped him.

“She risked everything to save me. And I didn’t even get to thank her.”

“Why not?” Aang asked.

“Because she disappeared without a trace,” Zuko admitted. “I wasn’t even a teenager yet. I had no idea about her sacrifice. Just that I was stuck with my father and sister after Azulon died. You know the rest.”

Aang replied, “Not everything...”

“I told you about Mom. That’s all I can for today.” Zuko said. “This month happens to mark ten years since it happened. This year in a whole. I’m sorry if I’m...moody.”

“If I can deal with being trapped in ice for 100 years _and_ still be friends with Toph, I think I can deal with the nineteen-year-old Firelord’s moodiness.”   
  
Zuko and Aang laughed. They didn’t say much more, mostly because they knew what the other was thinking already.   
They both had a very good friend at their side.


	2. Return to Republic City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang is finally going back home after a few months in Ba Sing Se, Earth Kingdom capital. He’s coming back with Firelord Zuko at his right hand, hoping that Zuko’s presence might create some peace between benders.

Aang waited outside the royal palace for Zuko, wishing his friend wound come a little faster. He was sorting something out with the Earth King. Something _private_ apparently. 

Appa yawned behind Aang. The sky bison had slept all night and gotten up early. Appa was just tired, Aang guessed. 

“He’ll be out here soon,” Aang assured his bison, patting Appa’s furry red arrow. “I promise you Zuko will not leave us out here.”

Appa gave him a skeptical look. 

“What? He won’t!”

Momo, the winged lemur Aang found in the Southern Air Temple four years earlier, sat on Appa’s saddle. Aang laughed, remembering how Sokka had wanted to eat him. Momo was an evasive creature, though. No one had managed to consume him yet. Not even Appa!

“Hey!” someone shouted. Aang turned. A small child was running towards him. The girl stopped in front of him. “You’re the Avatar, right?”

“Yep,” Aang replied. “That’s me.”

“Can I have your autograph?” the girl brought out a notebook. “I’m trying to collect all of Team Avatar’s.”

Aang smiled. “Sure. Do you have a pencil? Maybe a quill?”

The girl nodded. She handed Aang a small, sharp pencil. Aang took both the notebook and the writing tool. He opened it to the first page, where Suki’s signature was. Aang signed his name and looked at the one other. 

_Sword._

Whose signature could possibly be ‘sword’? Aang felt something familiar about it, though. He’d met plenty of swordsmen on his journeys, but none of them became part of Team Avatar.

“You know, Zuko is coming out here in a second,” Aang told the girl, handing the notebook back. 

“I know,” the girl giggled. “I’m his cousin’s daughter, Kurie.”

“Oh. Well, nice to meet you, Kurie.”

Kurie giggled again. She hugged her notebook to her chest, which was bright red. The color of the cover matched the shade of Kurie’s hair. Her eyes were amber, just like all of Zuko’s family had the intimidating amber eyes. 

“Uncle!” Kurie called. Aang turned to see Zuko coming out of the palace.

“Kurie!” Zuko hurried up to his niece, hugging her when they were close enough. “Are you ready?”

“Yes! I’m ready to go to Republic City!”

Aang blinked in surprise. “She’s coming with us?”

“She’s meeting us there,” Zuko said. “Kurie lives in the city, Aang. Part time, at least. She’s going with Uncle Iroh back.”

“Well, she can join us on Appa,” Aang suggested. “I’m sure she wants to see where you spent some of your teenage years.”

“Uh, well—” Zuko began. “I guess if she wants to.”

“I do!” Kurie agreed hurriedly. “I won’t fall off, I promise!”

Zuko sighed. He shot a ‘look’ at Aang. The monk raised his hands.

“She said she wanted to go.”

“She would’ve been better off with Iroh.”

“Yeah, but she’ll be safer if she enters the city with us.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. He climbed up onto Appa, helping Kurie on the way. Aang wondered why Zuko was against letting his niece on Appa. 

“Hold on, Kurie,” Zuko advised as Aang jumped onto Appa’s neck. 

“I will,” Kurie said. 

“Yip, yip, Appa!” Aang called to his bison.

With those magic words, Appa took off. Aang felt the wind rushing against his bald head, memories from years before coming into his mind. Aang glanced at Zuko, who was busy taking his hair down.

“WOO!” Kurie shouted over the wind. “This is awesome!”

“Yeah,” Zuko said. “I guess it is.”

“Welcome to my domain, Kurie,” Aang said, leaning back. “My favorite place in the world. Besides maybe Kyoshi Island.”

“I have to admit, I miss the rest of the team,” Zuko told Aang. “Even Toph and her sassy comments.”

Aang laughed. “Please. You and Toph are besties. Just like you and Katara.”

“Fair.”

“How did you spend so much time up here and still come back to the ground?” Kurie asked, marveling at her surroundings. “If I were in the sky for days at a time, I’d never want to go back to my real life.”

Aang and Zuko exchanged looks.

“Well, we were being attacked most of our time on land,” Zuko replied. “So it was more ideal to stay up here.”

Kurie looked over. “Attacked? Do you have any stories about the attacks?”

“Memories, sure,” Aang answered. “I don’t know about stories. I only remember bounty hunters, Fire Nation soldiers, and the occasional angry spirit coming after us.”

“Play producers,” Zuko murmured.

Aang cringed at the memory of the Ember Island play. “Yep. That too.”

“Tell me, tell me, tell me!” Kurie said. “Please? I’ll be totally silent while you talk.”

“Uh, maybe when we get to the city,” Zuko objected. “We still have a ways to go. Sleeping in the sky is surprisingly peaceful.”

Appa groaned. Aang patted his bison’s arrow. 

“Okay,” Kurie agreed. “Sweet dreams, Uncle.”

“Sweet dreams.” Zuko answered. The Firelord waited until his cousin’s daughter was definitely asleep and turned to Aang. “Do you remember when we went to the Sun Warriors’ Village?”

“Yeah,” Aang chuckled. “You just _had_ to touch that Sunstone.”

“Mhm.” Zuko replied. “I don’t think it was a Sunstone.”

Aang turned to look at his friend. “What do you mean? It was a glowing gold stone.”

“It was egg-shaped.”

“So?”

“It was a dragon egg, Aang.”

Aang froze. “A _what?”_

“A dragon egg.” Zuko repeated. “Ran and Shaw’s I think.”

“How do you—?” Aang ran one of his hands over his head. “How did you figure that out? Did the Sun Warriors tell you?”

“I don’t think they know,” the Firelord admitted. “Ran and Shaw probably gave it to them to protect without saying what it was.”

Aang thought on that. Shaw and Ran: the original Firebenders. They were dragons, one red and one blue, who Zuko and Aang had done a traditional Firebending form for. They’d then accepted them and Aang came to the conclusion that fire wasn’t just destruction.

It made sense that they would have an egg, but why would they give it to humans to harbor? Spirits in the Spirit World seemed to think mortals were untrustworthy and couldn’t do anything right. Why would dragons think any different?

“What led you to believe that?” Aang asked.

“My uncle,” Zuko said. “He told me what a dragon egg looked like. How he described it was exactly what the Sunstone was.”

Aang thought. “So what do you want to do about it?”

“I don’t know,” Zuko replied. “Maybe we should pay a visit to our friends the Sun Warriors.”

“Maybe.” Aang didn’t know how he felt about the information. Why did Zuko seem so interested in it? It made Aang feel uneasy. Was something going on that he didn’t know about?

Aang shook his head. He focused on the road ahead. He was going back home. And he finally had the chance to show one of his old friends.

———————

“Republic City here we come!” Kurie said loudly. “Are we almost there, Aang?”

“Yes, we’re almost there,” Aang, who had switched control of Appa with Zuko earlier, told the girl. “Appa knows the way.”

“I can’t believe you’ve never been, Uncle,” Kurie said to Zuko.

“I’ve seen it in its early stages,” Zuko said. “Even before it was named Republic City. We had to negotiate with the Earth King to get the territory.”

Aang nodded. “That was a hard battle that didn’t involve weapons or bending for once. Katara and Zuko handled most of it.”

“Katara is peaceful; Zuko’s the Firelord,” Kurie thought aloud. “I’m sure you came in handy when resources were needed.”

“Aang is more than just a source, Kurie,” Zuko told her. “He’s not just the Avatar. He’s a good person, a great fighter,” he smiled at Aang, “and an excellent friend.”

Kurie hugged Aang and the hugged her uncle. Aang had never seen Zuko’s scar look so... calm? Not intimidating? Maybe his niece was making him softer than usual.

“You never told me your hair was naturally feathered,” Kurie mentioned to Zuko. She played with the back of Zuko’s hair. “I’ve only ever seen it up.”

“It takes a lot of brushing and detangling,” Zuko explained. “I’m sure your mother knows all about that.”

Before Kurie could reply, Appa dived down. Zuko jerked forward and, at first, Aang saw fear in his amber eyes. However, it quickly evolved into excitement.

“WAHOO!” Kurie cried. Zuko laughed. Aang expanded his glider and jumped off Appa. “AANG?!”

“Just wait, Kurie!” Aang heard Zuko say.

Aang was gliding below Appa, just to get the wind to work like he wanted it to. When he was ready, he swooped up and flew next to Appa.

“WOAH!” Kurie said, astonished.

“I told you!” Zuko said.

Aang spun in the air and did a loop-the-loop. He landed on Airbender Island before his sky bison and his friends.

“Aang!” a woman with brown braided hair, dark toned skin, and wearing Water Tribe clothing ran up to him. 

“Katara!” Aang embraced his wife. “I brought someone with me.”

“You mean some _ones_ ,” Katara looked at Appa and gasped happily. “Zuko!”

Zuko and Katara hugged as soon as Zuko got off Appa. Kurie giggled and climbed off. She gazed around the island.

“I’ve only seen this place from afar,” she said. “It’s so cool up close!”

Aang gazed around his home. There was an Air Temple, newly refurbished, that served as Aang and Katara’s home at the base of the island. The ground beneath Aang’s bare feet was warm, green grass. Flowers bloomed all around the meadows and fields. Appa’s stables were by the temple. The island was empty. Too empty.

“It’s beautiful,” Zuko commented. “Quite... desolate, though. I assume you haven’t found any Airbenders then?”

Aang sighed. “No. I’ve been all over the world, every place one could be. The only thing I’ve come across is the occasional winged lemur.”

Momo chirped from his place on Appa’s saddle. Zuko put a hand on Aang’s shoulder. 

“If I have time to help, I will,” he said. “I can’t imagine what losing all of your people must be like. I’m sorry that mine committed such a terrible deed.”

Aang shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize. You weren’t involved. You weren’t even alive.” 

“I still feel bad.” 

“That’s okay, Zuko. So do I.”

“Umm, sorry to interrupt the happy moment and everything,” Kurie said, “but shouldn’t we be getting into the actual city?”

“Sure,” Aang replied. “You coming, Katara?”

“Do you really think I’d pass up a chance to have you, Zuko, _and_ Toph all in the city?” Katara grinned. “I’m coming, you dork.”

Aang smiled. Zuko put a hand on Kurie’s back. Momo jumped off the saddle and onto Katara’s shoulder.

“Welcome to Republic City, Zuko,” Aang said. “We’re glad to have you back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea just randomly popped in my head so I was like, “Okay, me, let’s get to work.” and I turned on YouTube. Any criticism? Fire at will I know I suck :P
> 
> Also I realized there might be some Aang x Zuko in this. Huh. I didn’t realize while I was writing. Eh.


End file.
